Hand fire-extinguisher



(No Model.)

No. 343,489. P tented June 8, 1886..

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Glass 7 Witnesses. Inventbn 2/64, I 19 hwflizOrW N PETERS PIIMO-L "WK VUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO Vi". PORTER, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JAMES J. COOPER, OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAND FlRE-lEXTINGUISHER.

:JPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,489, dated June 8,1886.

Amlication filed August 12, 1985. Serial No. 174,227. (No model.)

I all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALoNzo W. PORTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand FireEXtinguishers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in handfire-extinguishers, and is particularly designed to furnish in a singlearticle of manufacture a device adapted, according to the particularexigencies of the case, to sprinkle or spray a fire-extinguishingsolution, to spurtit in considerable volume, or permit its rapid escapeby pouring, or, finally, to apply the entire contents at once byprojecting and breaking the frangible containing-vessel at the place ofconfiagration.

To this end my invention consists in the construction hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisapplication, and wherein similar letters indicate similar partsthroughout the several views, Figure 1 illustrates in .elevation thepreferred embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 represents a verticalcentral section thereof.

A indicates a receptacle for the fire-extinguishing solution, and madeof glassor other frangible material. It is preferably of the elongatedcylindrical form shown, to better insure its breakage when projected atthe fire, as hereinafter set forth. At its upper end it is provided witha projecting neck, within which fits the closing plug or cork G. Thecork G contains the tapering metallic thimble, fitting closely within-itand opening into the top of the receptacle A. 7 By a side branch itcommunicates with the compressible pressurebulb E, having adouble set ofvalves, as shown,

and adapted when operated to compress air above the surface of theliquid in the receptacle A. Through the thimble B extends the innertube, F, firmly soldered to the thimble at its upper portion andreaching to the bottom of the receptacle. The lower end of the latter isof tapering form, as shown, and is closed by the cork G, within which'isinserted the corkscrew ring H. The cork G has a step-recess at its uppersurface, within which fits the shank of the stay and guide pin- L. Themain body of this pin is of external diameter equal to the internaldiameter of the tube F, and terminates in an upwardly-extendingtaperingprojection.

Apertures M M form a communication between the interior of thereceptacle A and the tube F; and an orifice, N, in the tip of the latterpermits the escape of the liquid in the form of a spray orsprinkling-stream when pressure is applied to the bulb.

The tip is preferably screw-threaded externally, as shown, for thereception of the internally-threaded closing-cap Lpreventing the escapeof the liquid when the receptacle A is filled and in transit. The tiporifice is closed by a soft plug of grease or the like, to preventevaporation, but which can be. forced out when pressure is applied tothe bulb.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The receptacle A beingfirst filled with the fire extinguishing solution, the cork O, to-

gether with the tube F, are inserted. The

lower end of the tube F is readily directed over the point of thetapering projection of the pin L, and is thus guided downwardly over theclose-fitting main portion of the stud or pin, thereby steadying thetube and preventing side strains upon its upper solder-joint. In case ofthe outbreak of fire and in its incipient stages, the cap I is unscrewedand removed, and by alternately compressing and releasing the bulb E theair-pressu re above the surface of the liquid in A forces such liquidupward through the inner tube and through the orifice N in a smallspraying or sprinkling 9o stream, whose size and extent of throw aredependent upon the size of the orifice and the pressure produced abovethe liquid. The device being carried in the hand, the fire-extinguishingstream may be directed at any desired point and shifted at will, so asto control a large area. If, owing to the progress of the fire, thismode of operation, is ineffectual, or

if the fire is between floorings andaccessible only by holes or openingsleading into the inter- 10o mediate space, the lower cork, G, is removedby means of the ring H, and the contents spurted or poured out rapidly.Finally, it" the fire has attained such headway as to require the suddenapplication of a considerable quantity of the solution, the entireextinguisher is hurled at it, the frangible receptacle A breaking anddistributing the contents at once upon the fire. The elongated form ofthe receptacle renders it more readily frangible than a globular form.

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to extinguish fires bymeans of frangible hand-grenades; also, in a pending application filedby me I have shown and described a fireextinguisher having a dependingtube for the discharge of its contents and a compressible bulb connectedby a branch pipe to the top of the liquid-receptacle. I do not thereforeclaim either of these features herein, broadly. By my improvedconstruction, however, I am enabled to combine in a single device meansfor controlling and fighting a fire at various stages of itsdevelopment, using but a small amount of the solution when the fire isinsignificant, notably increasing the amount when it has attained agreater progress, but preserving the integrity of the vessel, except inthe last instance,whcre it is desirable to use it as a grenade. Thesevarious capabilities of my unitary device adapt it thoroughly to all theconditions ordinarily met with in incipient fires.

The opening in the bottom of the frangible receptacle, in connectionwith the pressurebulb at the top, permits me, when the extinguisher isinserted between floors, to project the contents through said bottomopening to a great distance between and among the floorbeams, the liquidreaching places it would be impossible to reach readily otherwise.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A receptacle containing a fire-extinguish ing solution, saidreceptacle being provided at its bottom with an opening, as shown,closed by a removable plug, and at its top with an opening connectedwith a pressure-bulb, substantially as described.

2. A frangible receptacle containing a fireextinguishing solution, aspraying-tube ex- U and described.

ALONZO XV. PORTER. In presence ot'- G150. A. SIIINDA, NELsoN CHANDLER.

